Royal Headache - S/T – New LP

Tim Sendra: The guys in Royal Headache hit on a pretty good formula when they got together.. a resounding "awesome!" as it slams through 12 super-exciting songs in 26 minutes. From the testifying vocals of Shogun to the razor-sharp guitar work of Law and the tight-as-nails rhythm section of drummer Shotty and bassist Joe (guess they ran out of nicknames), everything about Royal Headache is spot-on soul-punk without a single wasted note. The band runs through the songs with unbridled, almost desperate, energy but make sure to save sonic space for the melodies, never drowning Shogun out as he tunefully spills his guts everywhere. It's kind of pointless to run down the highlights of Royal Headache since every track sounds and feels like a hit single and has a succinct hookiness -- even the instrumental "Two Kinds of Love," which provides a brief pause for breath in the middle of the album. If you're tired of retro soul singers who slavishly attempt to re-create the classic soul sound of the '60s but end up sounding about as passionate as a glass of milk, take a chance on Royal Headache. Their version of soul revival captures the sweat and fire of classic soul music better than almost anyone else, even without suits and Mark Ronson.